Refrigeration



y 3- v c. T. ASHBY 2,324,810

REFRIGERATION Filed May 16, 1941 52 INVENT-OR.

A; ATTORNEY.

I traps or seals.

Fatented July 20,

Carl '1. Ashby,

Inc, ware inflammation llvallnllle,.lnd;,allignor i senoi, v New York,N. 1., a corporation ot -Delaimam May 16, 194i, s nse. sasmi' a cm (or.ez-uasi My invention relates to absorption type refrigeration systems,and it. is an object of the in vention to provide an improvement inanalyze.- tion of vapor in such systems by segregation of liqui "ofdifferent concentrations in the analyzer as set forth in the followingdescription in connection with the'accompanying drawingwhich shows moreor less diagrammatically an absorption type refrigeration systemembodying the invention.

Referring to the drawing, reference character ll designates a generatordivided by a. partition I I into a circulation chamber l2 and a weakliquid chamber II. A standpipe l 4 extends upward from chamber l3, and avapor liquid lift conduit ii extends from within pump chamber I! to theupper part of 'standpipe l4. The lower endof conduit I 5 projects belowthelevel of liquid main 7 conduit 43 connects the lowest point oftheevapo rator with conduit 31 and is Provided with a liquid trap 44.

A conduit 43 connects the-bottom of. absorber.

33 with the outer conduit of a liquid heat exchanger 41, while a conduit4a connects the other end'of conduit 46 with the analyzer pocket. Aconduit 33 connects the lower part of pocket 33 with chamber II ofgenerator ll. Conduit 3| connects" chamber ll of the generator with theinner pipe no: the liquid heat exchanger 41 and a conduit 33 connectstheother end of conduit 52 with the upper D8 1 Of absorber 33. A portionof conduit 33 may be provided with air cooling fins l4.

A conduit II connects the low'erend of condenser 33 with a storagevessel It and the lower part of vessel 58 is vconnected to the absorber3| tained within'chamber l2 and is provided with an aperture l6 near itslower end. Aconduit il connects the upper end of standpipel4 to theupper part of chamber l8 formed in the lower part of an analyzer IS. Apartition 64 divides chainher [8 into two pockets and", The partition 34has a small aperture 65 therein for liquid level equalization. A vaporliquid lift conduit 22 con nects analyzer chamber 2| and pocket 63. A

drain pipe 25 connects chamber 2| and pocket 69. A conduit 26communicates with the upper part of chamber 2| and leads upwardtoarectifier 21 which may comprise a section of conduit provided with aircooling fins28. The conduit 23 ha a baiile or dam 31 therein locatedbetween the analyzer and the rectifier 21. A conduit 33 is connectedfrom a point in the conduit 23 above the baille 61, to pocket 63 ofchamber I31. A conduit 23 connects rectifier 21 to the upper part of J acondenser 30.

Conduits 32 and 33 connect condenser with an evaporator 34 locatedwithin the space to'be cooled 35 of a refrigerator cabinet 33. Conduit bmeans oi; a conduit 51. An apertured disc 3| lslocated near the bottomof vessel II and is provided with a. drain conduit 33 which terminatesnear the bottom of vessel -33.

Absorber 33 may be provided directly with air v cooling fins 'or a.cooling coil 80 may be located used. Application of heat to generator IIby means of 32 connects an intermediate point of condenser 30 with theupper part of" the evaporator while conduit 33 connects the bottom ofthe condenser with an intermediate point of the evaporator. Bothconduits 32 and A conduit 31 connects the upper part of evap o, rator 34to the inner conduit of a gas heat exchanger 38, which in turn isconnected'by a con-' duit 4| to the lower part of an absorber 33.

A conduit 40. connects the upper part of absorber 39 with the, outerconduit of the heat exchanger 38, which in turn is connected by aconduit 42 with the lower part of vaporal as are provided with liquidinheat exchange relation with the outside of the absorber and connectedby means off-conduits ii and 32 with the upper and lower ends,risiiectively, of a condenser 3.

The operation of theapparatus is as follows:, I The above describedsystem of conduitsand -vessels is charged with a suitable amount 'of absorption fluid, refrigerant, and a pressure equalizing gas which isinert with respect to both the absorption fluid and. the refrigerant.Water as theabsorption medium, ammonia as the refrigerant, and

any suitable heating element, such as-the burner 3, causes ammonia to beexpelled from solution in the form of a. vapor. Vapor collects intheupper part of chamber [2 and passes through aperture II in conduit IIand entrains slugs of liquid withq in the conduit and lifts them to theupper part of standpipe l4 in wellknown manner.- Ammonia vapor drivenfrom the solution contained in chamberis passes-upward through thestandpipe, II. The mixture oi ammonia and water:

vapors from both chambers I2 and I3 from the upper-part 'of standpipe l4through conduit II to the lower chamber ll of analyzer l3. Pocket '33 ofchamber I 3 is supplied with enriched absorption liquid, that isabsorption liquid in which refrigerant gas has been absorbed,

tor 34. A drain "and the vapor in chamber" passes through aperhydrogen athe inert gas may be. 7

upwardly through the absorber.

' flowing into pocket II of chamber I! from mixing with theweaker-solution draining down conduit 25 into pocket 59. The port orhole 65 in partition 64 permits the liquid levels in pockets 8! and I!to equalize, but is small enough to prevent any substantial mixing ofthe diluted liquid in pocket 69 and the richer liquid in pocket 68.

The baiile provides a dam which prevents the rectifier condensate fromdraining down conduit 26 into pocket 69 via chamber 2| and tube 25.conduit 66 to pocket 68 containing the stronger liquid. The hot gaseousmixture of ammonia and water is brought into intimate contact with thecooler strong absorption liquid during the passage through conduit 22 sothat water vapor which accompanies the refrigerant gas. from thegenerator is condensed and returns with the solution through conduit 25to pocket 69 of the lower chamber ll.

The refrigerant vapor passes'upwardly through conduit 26 to rectifier.In the rectifier the vapor is cooled sufliciently to condense most ofthe remaining water vapor,wliich forms very rich olution and drains backthrough conduit 85 to the pocket 8 of the analyzer. Ammonia vapor passesthrough conduit, to the upper part of condenser 30. Here the ammonia iscooled and condenses during its passage through the condenser. Thatportion of the ammonia which has been condensed by the time it reachesconduit 32 flows therethrough to the upper part of evaporator 34. Theremainder of the ammonia gas is condensed in the lower part of thecondenser and flows through conduit 33 to an intermediate point inevaporator 34.

Hydrogen gas is admitted into the lower part of the evaporator throughconduit 42 and comes in intimate contact with the liquid ammoniaintroduced into the evaporator. The ammonia evaporates and diffuses intothe hydrogen, which evaporation results in absorption of heat from thechamber 35.

The mixture of ammonia and hydrogen passes from the top of evaporator 34through conduit 31, heat exchanger 38, and conduit 4| to the lower partof absorber 39. Weak absorption liquid is introduced into the upper partof the absorber through conduit 53 and passes downwardly over aperturedtrays provided in the absorber, thus coming into intimate contact withthe gaseous mixture of ammonia and hydrogen which passes The ammonia gasis absorbed by the water, while the hydrogen gas passes through theabsorber and returns to the evaporator through conduits 40, 4| and 42.

The gas circulation between and through the evaporator and the absorbertakes place by virtue of the fact that the mixture of hydrogen andammonia from the evaporator is heavier than the relatively pure hydrogenfrom the absorber.

The strong absorption liquid formed in absorber 39 passes therefromthrough conduit 45 and through coifduit 46 of the heat exchanger andthrough conduit 48 to pocket 68 in the lower chamber l8 of the analyzer.As previously described the strong liquid here comes in contact with thevapor discharged from the generator The rectifier condensate is directeddown and serves to remove a substantial portion of the water vapor fromthe ammonia vapor. From pocket 69 in chamber ll the absorption liquidpasses through conduit to the circulation 5 chamber l2 of the generatorand, as previously described, is lifited through vapor liquid liftconduit IE to the upper part of standpipe l4. Vapor liquid lift conduitl5 maintains a sufilcient head of liquid in the standpipe to cause flowfrom chamber l3 through conduits II, 52 and 53 to the upper part ofabsorber 39.

Vessel 56 provides a storage space for hydrogen.

In the event that the atmospheric temperature rises, a higher pressurewithin the system will be necessary for condensation of ammonia to takeplace within the condenser. This higher pressure is obtained by virtueof the fact that, when the temperature increases, a portion of theammonia will pass through the condenser without being liquefied and willpass through conduit II to storage vessel 56 and displace therefrom thestored hydrogen, which passes through. conduit 51 into the main part ofthe system. This increases the pressure to a point sufllciently high sothat ammonia will be condensed within the condenser.

The absorption of ammonia gas by water within absorber 39 results in thegeneration of heat, which is removed by vaporizing a suitable liquidcontained in the cooling coil 60 The vapor thus formed passes throughconduit 6| to condenser 63, which is cooled by the atmosphere tocondense the vapor, which returns through conduit 62 to the lower-end ofcooling coil 60.

While I have described one more or less specific embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that variations thereof fall withinits scope as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An absorption refrigeration system including a generator, anabsorber, conduits for conducting enrlchedabsorption liquid from saidabsorber to said generator, said conduits including an analyzer throughwhich flows said enriched absorption liquid, conduits for conductingvapor from said generator to and from said analyzer, saidanalyzer beingconstructed and arranged so that the vapor passing therethrough bubblesthrough liquid therein, and a vertical wall in said analyzer to dividetherein liquid through which vapor has bubbled from liquid entering theanalyzer, said wall having a small passage therethrough so that liquidon opposite sides thereof has substantially the same surface level.

2. An absorption refrigeration system including an analyzer, saidanalyzer having a vapor inlet, a vapor outlet, a liquid inlet, a liquidoutlet, a partition between said liquid inlet and liquid outlet dividingthe liquid in said analyzer into two bodies having substantially thesame surface levels, and means operated by flow of vapor through saidanalyzer for transferring liquid from one of said bodies to the otherover said partition.

65 3. An absorption refrigeration system as in I claim 2 in which saidpartition has a small opening below the surface levels of liquid in saidbodies to maintain equalization of said surface said pockets, an outletfor liquid from the second' of said pockets, an inlet for vapor to saidlower chamber, an outlet for vapor i'rom said upper chamber, a vaporlift conduit from said first pocket to saidupper chamber, and a liquiddrain I conduit from saidupper chamber to said second.

pocket. i

5. Ari-absorption refrigeration system as in claim 4 in which saidpartition has a small open- .ing topermit equalization of surface levelsof liquid on opposite sides thereof.

6. An absorption refrigeration system as in claim-i which also includesa rectifier connected to receive vapor from said analyzer, and means forconducting condensate from said rectiiierto said first pocket.

7. An absorption refrigeration system includ-- ing a generator, ananalyzer including a vapor liquid lift through which liquid flowing tosaid generator is raised by vapor flowing from said" generator, arectifier connected to receive vapor from said analyzer, and means io rconducting,

condensate from said rectifier to join only that 8. An absorptionrefrigeration system 'includ- .ing a generator, an absorber, conduitsfor conducting enriched absorption liquid from saidabsorber to saidgenerator, said conduits including an analyzer through which flows said'enriched absorption liquid, conduits for conducting vapor from saidgenerator to and from said ana'lyzer, said analyzer being constructedand arranged so that the vapor passing thereti rough bubbles throughliquid therein, a separator insaid analyzer to divide therein liquidthrough which vapor has bubbled from liquid entering the analyzer, arectifier connected to'receive -vapor from said analyzer, and means forconducting condensate from said rectifier to said ana'iyzer andassociated with the analyzer so that the condensate joins absorptionliquid entering portion of the liquid flowing to said generator whichhas not yet passed through said lift.

